Are you ready for the next power outage?

My mom experienced a power outage at her house recently and was prepared, but not all of her neighbors were, so I think it’s good to think about what you should have on hand to deal with a short power outage (up to 8 hours). .

A whole-house generator, connected to your home’s electrical system, is a great solution, but it can be expensive. A portable gasoline generator is also good.

My mom has a large power station that runs on batteries and transports it as needed. She can run your coffee maker, lights, fan, and keep your portable devices charged for a few days.

Manufacturers such as Jackery, Bluetti and EcoFlow make a variety of power plants of different sizes. Their great advantage is being able to use them indoors and take them where energy is needed.

There are larger models that can power things like your refrigerator or freezer for a few days, but battery generators eventually need to be recharged, whether through electricity, 12-volt vehicle outlets, or solar panels, so they are not as convenient as a long time. -term power solution.

I have a review of a new Bluetti power plant in progress.

So far, the power outages at Mom’s house have been brief. Mom’s power plant hasn’t run out of power until she restores it.

At a minimum, you should have one or more external batteries to keep your phone charged during a long power outage.

When purchasing an external battery, the specification you will want to know is the capacity. My iPhone 13 Pro Max has a battery capacity of 4350 milliamp-hours. If I buy a 10,000 mAh external battery, it will charge my iPhone twice.

I would recommend a 20,000 mAh (or larger) battery for each member of your household.

You can also keep a phone charged or charge an external battery from a moving vehicle.

Next week I will make some recommendations for an emergency kit to have at home when the power goes out for a day or even a week.

Of course, these scenarios depend on cellular service continuing to function, which is not the case in the event of power outages, depending on the severity of the situation.

Jim Rossman is a technology columnist for Tribune News Service. He can be contacted at [email protected].